Globular clusters are collections of tightly bound stars orbiting galaxies. Astronomers consider them as natural labs which enablie research studies on the evolution of galaxies and stars. In particular, globular clusters could assist scientists much better understand the formation history and evolution of early type galaxies, as the origin of GCs seems to be closely connected to periods of extreme star development.
ESO 520-21 lies close to the center of the Milky Way, and from our perspective in the world, remains in the constellation Ophiuchus. Its location near the celestial equator is where interstellar gas and dust take in starlight, which make observations more difficult.
NASA and ESA state that interstellar absorption impacts some wavelengths of light more than others, altering the colors of huge objects by triggering them to appear redder than they in fact are. Astronomers call this process “reddening,” and it makes figuring out the homes of globular clusters near to the galactic center– such as ESO 520-21– particularly challenging. An in-depth research study on the origins of this globular cluster was released in a paper previously this month, which you can read here.
Another view of Palomar 6 from the VISTA Variables in The Via Lactea (VVV) public survey using the VISTA electronic camera on the Very Large Telescope. Credit: Souza et al., 2021.
Source: NASA
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Heres some beauty for your timeline: an ancient and sensational globular cluster captured by the age-old Hubble Space Telescope. The telescopes Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys was used to take this photo of ESO 520-21 (likewise referred to as Palomar 6), which lies about 25,000 light years away from Earth. Researchers state this globular cluster is most likely about 12.4 billion years of ages.